What do AirBnB, DoorDash, and Dropbox have in common? All three are successful, household-name businesses. All three started in a tech incubator, an entity that provided the founders of these companies with the resources they needed to get their ideas off the ground: office space, mentorship, funding, training, exchange among peers. What’s good for business will be transformative for Nevada’s charter school system.

A Path Toward Quality Education

Charter schools have a proven track record of providing quality education to Nevada students. They close the education gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. They offer targeted curricula for students who aspire to venture into STEM professions. They help English-learning students find their academic footing. They work for our children. But we need more of them.

Since 2018, charter school enrollment in Nevada has seen steady growth. The Nevada State Public Charter School Authority, which oversees all of the state’s charters, ranks as the third largest school district by enrolment numbers. Interest exceeds demand, with charter schools having to resort to a lottery system to curate a fair, non-discriminatory admissions process for student applicants.

Introducing charter school incubators would help get new charters across the state up and running. Unlike their business equivalents, charter school incubators are usually non-profit organizations funded by state programs or donors. Aspiring charter school founders can join an incubator to test and tweak their school concepts, access grant funding, receive training and assistance with curriculum design. Most incubators accompany their schools throughout their initial years. This approach ensures that new institutions are academically strong and can long-term provide Nevada students with access to high-quality education.

Think of these incubators as the greenhouses of education: just as a greenhouse nurtures young plants before they’re ready to be planted in a garden, field or forest, charter school incubators help new schools grow strong roots before they’re able to continue their own. But once they do, they’ll operate with a strong and lasting foundation.

Fueling Charter School Growth

Incubators are a tried and tested model: Arizona ranks top among states for charter school-friendly regulation, resulting in one of the most robust charter school systems in the country. Through a state-provided grant, new charter school founders can access assistance in planning, program design, and the initial implementation of their school projects. This funding ensures that new schools can start off financially and academically robust. Unsurprisingly, six of the top 10 charter schools ranked by the annual US News Best Charter High Schools Report are Arizona-based institutions.

Louisiana is another prime example of charter school incubators propelling school growth and student performance. The founder of New Orleans-based incubator “4.0 Schools,” Matt Candler, called his outfit a “school launch engine.” In his incubator, school entrepreneurs receive grants and support for bringing their ideas for charter schools to life. The charters of his graduates are now addressing education gaps through innovative learning methods that engage parents, extracurricular activities, and after-school learning programs.

Candler’s and his peers’ efforts pay off. Charter high schools in Louisiana are listed among the top 25 charter high schools nationwide. No small feat, considering that the state’s traditional public school education takes 40th place.

Similarly, Minnesota supports the establishment of new Charter schools through grants for incubators to assist founders with “charter school developer teams to create a strong understanding of charter school law, governance, financials, staffing, and more.”

Nevada Needs a State-Supported Charter School Incubator Program

Incubators help charter schools overcome common challenges. They accompany new schools through their first crucial years and act as a hub for innovation. A charter school incubator for Nevada will create the infrastructure and funding needed to enlarge its own charter school network. A more extensive charter school network translates to better access to quality education for children. Nevada’s public school system has fallen short. Its charter schools stepped in to close vital education gaps. Incubators will accelerate charter school planting and give education entrepreneurs the support they need to succeed. Help us advocate for the creation of charter school incubators in Nevada